Track-fastener.



No. 766,598. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. H. J. GONRATH & B. BAKER.

TRACK FASTENBR.

APPLICATION rum) an 17. 1904.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATEs Patented August 2, 1904.

HENRY J. CONRATH AND BENJAMINE BAKER, OF MARIETTA, OHIO.

TRACK-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,598, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed May 17, 1904. Serial No. 208,494. (No model.)

To all whom. it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY J. CONRATH and BENJAMINE BAKER, citizens of the United States, and residents of Marietta, in the county of WVashington and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Track- Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to an improvement in track-fasteners, the object being to provide a simple and at the same time secure a rigid fastening for holding rails fast to the ties.

WVith the foregoing object in view our invention consists in a metal tie having diagonal slots in the upper portion and extending into the web in connection with a fastening-clip which extends into the slot, embracing the opposite edges of the rail-base, and a key adapted to be wedged into the fastening-clip, whereby to force it securely into place against accidental displacement.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing fragments of the tie with the rail in full lines at the right-hand end and in dotted lines at the opposite end. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a fragment of an iron or steel tie, showing the rail thereon in section and the fastening-clip and key. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 through the tie. Fig. 4: is a view in perspective of the fastening-clip, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the key.

A represents a tie, preferably I-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3, and made of iron or steel. Diagonal slots 1 1 are formed in the upper portion of the tie at an angle of about forty-five degrees, one slot preferably extending in one direction and the other in the opposite direction, as shown in Fig. 1. A fastening-clip C, preferably U-shaped, as shown in Fig. 4:, is adapted to enter this slot, and at one end it is provided with a chair 4, adapted to take over one flange of the rail and engage the web, as shown in Fig. 2,ithaving a shoulder 5, which rests upon the flat surface of the tie, and at the opposite end the fastening-clip is provided with a head 6, which embraces the opposite base-flange of the rail. The chair and head extend parallel to each other from opposite ends of the diagonal slot, the central portion of the U-shaped fastening-clip extending in the direction of the slot and resting therein, as shown in Fig. 1. In this way the chair at one end and the head at the opposite end of the fastening-clip embrace the opposite flanges of the rail-base at distances apart equal to the length of the slot. A wedge-shaped key D is driven into the loop of the fastening-clip beneath the upper surface of the top of the tie through the slot 1. This key D tapers slightly, as shown in Fig. 5, and is preferably rounded on its lower surface and notched a portion of the distance, as shown at 7 7, to prevent its slipping, and an enlargement 8 is formed on the upper surface of the key at or near the smaller end adapted to bear upon the lower surface of the upper portion of the tie, and in this way when the key is driven in it springs at the middle and holds more securely than otherwise it would, thus preventing its working loose and effectually taking care of the expansion and contraction that may occur in the rail and tie, The notches receive the loop of the fastening-clip and prevent any tendency to otherwise slip out. In this way a very simple arrangement is provided for securely fastening the rail B in place on the tie.

It is evident that the slots might be differently disposed on different ties and that other slight variations might be made in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, and hence we do not wish to limit ourselves to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a tie having a slotted upper surface, of a fastening-clip approximately U-shaped adapted to enter the slot, and constructed at its ends to embrace opposite flanges of the rail, and a key adapted to be driven into the loop of the clip beneath the top of the tie whereby to secure the fastening-clip in place.

2. The combination with a tie, having a slot in its upper surface extending part way into the web of the tie, of a fastening-clip constructed and adapted to enter the slot and embrace opposite edge of the rail-base, and a tapering key adapted to be forced into the loop formed between the ends of the fastening-clip, at a point just below the top flange of the tie.

3. The combination with an I-shaped tie, having a slot diagonally disposed in its upper surface, and extending part way through the web, of a U-shaped fastening-clip having a chair on one end adapted to embrace a flange of the rail, a shoulder adjacent thereto which rests on the upper surface of the tie, and a head on the opposite end to embrace a flange of the rail, and a tapering key having a roughspecification in the presence of two subscrib-' ing witnesses.

' HENRY J. CONRATH. BENJAMINE BAKER. Witnesses:

W. E. SYKEs, PEARL MASON. 

